Taste of Thunder
by GoldenSnidget13
Summary: He grew up buoyed on the love and light of his father. Ginny Weasley is a taste of thunder, and Harry Potter has been struck by her lightning. A series of connected one-shots. AU, H/G
1. Birthdays

**Summary:** He grew up buoyed on the love and light of his father. Ginny Weasley is a taste of thunder, and Harry Potter has been struck by her lightning. A series of connected one-shots. AU, H/G

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, yo. It belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling, and I'm just toying with her wonderful world.

 **Author's Note:** I have returned to writing fanfiction after a long hiatus…I've just finished my first year at my dream university. Suffice it to say I've had an excellent year but I've missed Harry Potter so, so much (even though my university is basically Hogwarts). I started writing little passages here and there for this concept a long time ago, and now I'm very happy to say I'm starting to pull them all together to present what has been sitting in my document folder as 'the untitled harry potter project' for months and is now essentially a collection of H/G one-shots, all linked.  
I hope you enjoy reading it! Please do leave a review, nothing makes an author's day more.

* * *

Chapter One:

Birthdays

* * *

 _Prologue_

 _'Catch it Harry! Come on! I know you can!'_

 _James Potter laughed uproariously as his son, barely a year of age, fumbled for the puffs of brightly coloured smoke emerging from his wand. Harry was chuckling along in that reckless, carefree way that babies do._

 _Lily watched from the doorway, a sad smile on her face. For a single moment she'd allowed herself to believe that this truly was their life…the expressions of pure pleasure held by her son and husband…_

 _'You're right,' she said, and Harry instinctively reached out at the sound of her voice. 'He_ is _going to be a great Quidditch player. He doesn't give up.'_

 _James grinned, tossing his wand onto the sofa. Harry made a small noise of complaint as the wisps of smoke bled into thin air. 'Like father, like son.'_

 _Lily's smile deepened as she took Harry from James, resting her nose gently into his mop of black hair, inhaling greedily. 'I'll put him to bed. He's tired from playing games with his silly daddy, aren't you?'_

 _Harry yawned in response, burrowing his face into his mother's shoulder and her thick red hair. James nodded as he moved towards the stairs, indicating his intention to follow her._

 _It was at that instant that their door was blasted apart; hard flakes of wood showered down over all three Potters and James was thrown violently against the wall and buried beneath what remained of it._

 _Harry was screaming now, his small hands scrabbling desperately at the ends of his mother's hair, peppered with white dust, but she was standing, paralysed. James was not stirring, and Lily mouthed his name hoarsely even as she stared into those scarlet, scarlet eyes…_

 _'He is dead. Stand away from the boy.' the high, cold voice seemed to awaken her, she threw Harry behind her so that he landed with a thud onto the stairs, but the toddler was too shocked to react. His screams subsided._

 _'Not Harry,' she croaked. 'Not Harry, please not Harry!'_

 _'Step aside-'_

 _'Have mercy, take me instead, just not Harry…not my son-'_

 _'Step aside!'_

 _But she did not; her arms flailed widely at her sides, as though she could really stop him…he laughed mercilessly…the incantation came easily…_

 _'Avada Kedavra!'_

 _Green light jetted towards her and she crumpled, revealing the boy. He was crying again, but not the same raw wailing as before. It was a silent resignation…as though he knew what was about to happen…_

 _'Avada Kedavra!'_

 _And Lord Voldemort broke, a shell of his former self…he deserted the ruined house as quickly as he'd entered it…and James Potter feebly moved from beneath his shroud of broken glass and wood…_

* * *

 _SUMMER 1996_

 _31_ _st_ _July_

Dewy sunlight streamed into the small room, casting a lazy morning glow. Incoherent mumbling drifted from beneath the bedclothes and Ginny Weasley pulled one bright brown eye open. Then another.

There was an abrupt pounding on her door, and she groaned as her youngest brother's voice rang out, 'Ginny! Get up! Mum says if you're not washed and dressed in fifteen minutes I have permission to use _Aguamenti_ on you.'

'No magic outside of Hogwarts!' Ginny shook the last dregs of sleep off and shouted back at Ron.

'I'm willing to take the punishment,' he answered.

Groggily, she stepped out of bed, untangling her legs from the jungle of sheets. The hot breath of the sun warmed her arms as she yanked denim shorts and a yellow vest top from her wardrobe and padded to the bathroom.

Unfortunately, it was occupied. She pounded loudly on the door, expecting one of her brothers to be in there, but staggered back as it was flung open, revealing an elegant blonde with a peeved look on her face.

'I 'ave only been in there fifteen minutes,' said Fleur defensively. 'Eet was custom at Beauxbatons to awaken before nine, although, you are needing your beauty sleep, mm?'

Ginny gritted her teeth and forced a smile at her brother's fiancée. _It won't last,_ she told herself, returning to her room. _Bill will see sense._

By the time she had slumped downstairs and taken a half-hearted bite of the limp toast her mother handed her, it was already nearing eleven. All her brothers, save Percy, who was off somewhere being a first-rate Ministry git, were at the Burrow specially for Harry's birthday. Even Charlie, who she could see helping Bill decorate through the window, had popped back from Romania for the next few days to make sure he didn't miss it. The Potters and Weasleys were obscenely close; it was considered, at least by Mrs Weasley, a form of blasphemy to miss a family occasion.

'I do wish you had woken up a little earlier, dear,' Mrs Weasley chided, as she twisted her wand through the air to adjust the bunting. 'The Potters will be here in less than twenty minutes, and I could have used your help with Harry's cake.'

Ginny rolled her eyes and crammed the last of her toast into her mouth. When would her mother give up on insisting she became skilled in all matters culinary?

'You should have just made a treacle tart,' said Ginny.

'I have.' Mrs Weasley said briskly. 'But I thought he'd appreciate a cake, as well. By the way, what have you bought Harry for his birthday? Because you really ought to have got him something, dear, he gave you that lovely present on your last birthday.'

Ginny grimaced as she recalled the tokens for Madam Puddifoot's teashop that Harry had jokingly tossed her August of last year. Her brothers had all rolled around laughing, and of course James Potter had been beside himself, but Ginny didn't find it funny in the slightest. The real reason Harry had given her such a thing was because – to her intense embarrassment – he'd walked past horrible teashop on a Hogsmeade weekend before school had finished and seen her in a very compromising position with Dean Thomas. Thankfully, he'd sworn up and down he wouldn't tell anyone – after Ginny had threatened to hex him into the next century if he did – but the present had been a 'subtle' hint at the incident.

'I did get him something, Mum,' Ginny said. Albeit, probably not what her mother had in mind. But she was determined to get revenge for last year.

'Good. Now, are you really going to wear those ratty old shorts to Harry's birthday?'

'What's wrong with this?' said Ginny. In fact, those denim shorts were last year's, and she'd done a lot of growing up since then. They squeezed her in the right places, and Quidditch practice had helped to tone her legs.

'It's a party,' said Mrs Weasley. 'I…oh, never mind. Where's your father? If he's tinkering around with that Muggle rubbish in that shed of his again, I'm going to –'

She was interrupted by the unmistakable roar of the Floo; clambering out of the diminishing emerald flames were James Potter, Sirius Black, and of course, Harry.

'Sorry we're a bit early, Molly…thought you could use a hand setting up.' said James, smiling as he dusted himself free of soot.

'I've got it under control,' Mrs Weasley exclaimed, but she embraced her friends, her hands still encased in oven mitts. 'Happy birthday, Harry, dear.'

The boy in question, ran a hand through his dishevelled mop of black hair, and smiled. 'Thanks, Mrs Weasley.'

'You can help Bill and Charlie, they're outside putting up balloons,' said Mrs Weasley to James and Sirius, who nodded. Ginny leapt up from her chair and hugged Harry's father. 'Hi, Mr Potter, Mr Black.'

'Ginny, my partner in crime,' Harry's father, tall, bespectacled, and good-looking, much like his son, winked at her as he released her. 'Nice to see you…and call us James and Sirius, don't make us feel old.'

'Hi, Ginny,' Harry shuffled forward, offering her a boyish grin. 'Where's Ron?'

'Oh, that's nice, here five seconds and already clamouring for your boyfriend instead of making polite conversation with me.' Ginny quipped. James chuckled as she hastened over to the staircase and bellowed, 'RON! HARRY'S HERE!'

'It's like having seven boys,' she heard her mother huff.

'Oh, and happy birthday, Potter,' she added.

'Finally. I thought you'd forgotten.' said Harry, but he smiled in thanks.

She didn't get a chance to reply, because there was a thunderous rampage of footsteps, and Ron materialised, his bright red hair, not unlike her own, ruffled.

'Happy birthday, mate. Is she giving you a hard time?' he said. 'Hi Mr Potter, Mr Black.'

'No, she's being delightful actually,' Harry said mildly, over his father and Sirius's protestations over the use of their formal names.

'Is Hermione here, yet, Ginny?' Ron demanded.

'No.' she said shortly. It was so typical of Ron to exclude her like that, but she was growing used to it now. In the summer, it wasn't as bad; Hermione always tried to include her, for one, and lately Harry had casually asked if Ginny was joining them from time to time.

'Come on, we can probably grab a few Pumpkin Pasties before Mum sees,' Ron said to Harry, who grinned and allowed himself to be tugged into the kitchen. Sighing heavily, Ginny flopped down on the bottom step of the curvature staircase.

'Come on, what are you doing moping over here? Shouldn't you be plotting some sort of prank to play on my godson?' Sirius grinned down at her.

'Don't worry, the plan is already in motion,' said Ginny.

'I knew you wouldn't let me down. Promise me a front row seat?' Sirius said eagerly.

'Of course,' she managed a grin, and satisfied, Harry's godfather sloped off to help James and the others with the decorations.

The Weasleys always had the Potters over for Harry's birthdays; James had originally given weak protestations, but Ginny suspected, and her mother certainly did, that he was glad to surround himself and his son with all the more people on such occasions…it made the absence of Lily much less pronounced.

Ginny glanced over at Harry. He was talking now with Fred and George, laughing at something they had said. She couldn't help but notice the way that strands of his stupidly messy hair were falling into his eyes. He brushed them away impatiently as she watched on.

'Like what you see?'

This time, a genuine smile broke across Ginny's blank face as she heard that voice. Throwing herself off the stairs, she launched at a mass of bushy brown hair.

'Hermione!'

'Staring at Harry? Really, Ginny,' Hermione teased, setting down the suspiciously-book shaped package she was carrying on the nearby table.

'I wasn't,' Ginny said hotly. 'You look brown.'

'I just got back from France with my parents,' said Hermione. 'So, has anything interesting happened?'

'Well, I've lost count of the times Ron has dragged us to the Potters', and Harry's wheedled round here.' replied Ginny. 'Fred and George have opened their joke shop, but they haven't let us visit yet. Mum's going spare, you know what she's like, has to know everything…I can't wait to see it and stock up.'

Hermione raised an eyebrow. 'I'm not sure that's very wise, Ginny, your OWL year is approaching. You don't want to get mixed up in all those silly tricks.'

'I've actually missed your priggish advice,' Ginny said. 'How about a nice game of Quidditch? Do you want to see me fly rings around the birthday boy?'

'Definitely not,' Hermione looked positively petrified now. 'I hate flying. Can't you just play with Harry and your brothers? Oh, and Cho, I suppose, she is on the Ravenclaw team.'

'Cho?' Ginny tried to sound nonchalant.

'Harry invited her, she _is_ his girlfriend,' Hermione reminded her.

'Obviously,' said Ginny quickly. She glowered over at Harry, who was still absorbed in an apparently hilarious exchange with the twins, since he was guffawing.

The next batch of guests arrived in a cluster; Hagrid, who had grown about three inches in height since last they'd seen him and came clutching an enormous parcel that looked like Hedwig, Harry's owl, had wrapped it; Remus Lupin, their former Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and a close friend of the Potters'; Cho, who looked very pretty with her dark hair tied up, and Tonks, Remus's girlfriend, who was sporting cropped, bubblegum pink hair and a sloping nose.

Mrs Weasley ushered them into chairs; they were sitting outside for Hagrid's benefit and consequently spent a substantial amount of time swatting away various insects from themselves.

'So, Harry, I heard you're Quidditch captain for this year, I – oops, wotcher, Ron!' Tonks barked the last few words as a clumsy collision with her elbow sent a plate of Cauldron Cakes flying towards Ron's direction. Some swift wand movement from Mr Weasley had them horizontal again, but placed deliberately away from Tonks's flailing limbs.

'Yeah,' said Harry thickly, tearing off a strip of chicken. 'I'm hoping to whip the team back into shape, last year was a bit of a mess. Mostly thanks to Umbridge.'

Everyone at the table, even Mrs Weasley, shared very dirty looks at the mention of the ex-Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She was responsible for the scars on the back of Harry's hand, not to mention the faint scratches that Ginny, Ron, Hermione and countless others also wore.

'Well, now that we've got more time to spend with our OWLs over…' said Ron.

'Don't speak too fast, brother dear,' said Fred. 'NEWT year is a bitc – er, very difficult,' he glanced nervously at his mother.

'How would you know?' said Ron. 'You only did NEWTs for about five minutes.'

'Are you trying out again this year, Ginny?' Harry spoke directly to her.

'I might do,' she said nonchalantly. Of course she had made her mind up weeks ago. She was vying for the position of Chaser and was determined to get it.

'Good, we need more Weasleys on the team,' he said brightly. Ginny felt her face beginning to heat and pinched her thigh, hard.

'Got to cover up your shoddy playing somehow, Potter.' she smirked.

'Ginny!' her mother scolded.

'She was joking, Molly,' her father muttered, as Harry raised his eyebrows in response. 'That's Captain to you, Weasley.'

'That's enough flirting, you two, you're putting me off my chicken.' said Sirius, grinning.

'Er, Padfoot,' James elbowed him sharply and tilted his head towards Cho, who said nothing, but whose cheeks were now tinted a light pink.

'Flirt with him? I'd rather strip naked and rap to "Can You Sing Like A Hippogriff".' said Ginny, trying to inject a little humour into Sirius's candid remark.

Fred, who was taking a slurp of pumpkin juice, spluttered and sent droplets flying over the tablecloth; Ron looked disgusted; George was thumping Fred hard on the back; Charlie and Bill looked amused but maintained a dignified silence, and Harry tried very hard to conceal a smile, but failed. Sirius looked delighted.

'Ginny,' her mother's tone was steely, but her mouth was giving a telltale twitch at the corners.

After they'd finished eating, Harry was the first to propose a game of Quidditch. He received affirmations from Ron, Ginny, Charlie, Cho and the twins, whilst Hermione hurriedly asked Mrs Weasley if she needed help clearing up, and Fleur said in a loud voice, 'Eet is such a rough game, I 'ave never seen ze appeal.'

Mrs Weasley looked as though she very much agreed with Fleur, but was loathe to do so out loud.

'Harry and I will be Seekers, then,' suggested Cho.

'Ron can be Keeper, we'll be Beaters,' George gestured to himself and Fred. 'Ginny will be Chaser. We still need another Chaser and a Keeper to make the teams even, if Fred and I are on different sides.'

'Bill, you're alright, you be a Keeper,' begged Fred. 'James, you can be the Chaser, you used to play for Gryffindor, didn't you?'

Bill glanced at Fleur. 'One game.'

'I'm honoured,' James grinned at the Weasleys. 'But I think the Potters are going to show you how the game is played.'

Cho gave Harry a chaste kiss on the cheek; he didn't seem too enthusiastic about it, Ginny couldn't help but observe, and Cho seemed to notice this as well, because her mouth tightened a little.

It was soon clear who the natural players were; Harry, Ginny and Charlie, who also happened to be the most competitive, were out-flying the others immediately. Although James hadn't played since he'd left Hogwarts, and that was almost twenty years back, he was about equal with the trio, albeit rusty in places. Cho, Ron and the twins were also showcasing good skills, but Bill was abysmal. It was all he could do to stay on his broom, but Fleur still insisted on shouting encouragement from the sidelines.

'…and that's 70-50 to us,' Fred yelled, as the Snitch just evaded Harry's open grip.

' _Sonorus_ ,' Molly Weasley gestured with her wand towards her own throat. 'Everyone, the Quidditch game is over! Come down!' her magically enhanced voice echoed throughout the garden.

'The game isn't over until the Snitch is caught,' the twins called back to her.

'If it isn't caught soon, she'll just come up here and get it herself.' Ginny said, and Ron nodded.

'Get your head in the game, Harry,' he said lightly.

It wasn't until another twenty points later – courtesy of Ginny – that finally, the Snitch was clasped safely in Harry's hands, and he had a triumphant smile over his face that was, Ginny thought, both extremely infuriating and attractive at the same time.

'What's that you were saying about beating me?' said Harry, grinning, as they returned to the ground with a soft, squelchy thud.

'It's your birthday, I had to let you win.' said Ginny, although she had a faint smile on her face. She was trying very hard to ignore how _good_ he looked with his raven hair all windswept and mud smeared over his sharp jawline… _imagine kissing that jawline…No!_

'Time for presents,' Mrs Weasley bustled over, 'and, for some of us, a good wash. If you come to the door, dear, I'll siphon the mud off you. Honestly, it's made your face all red, Ginny.'

Somehow, Mrs Weasley had managed to shepherd all the guests, even a tentative Hagrid, into the Burrow and they gathered round to give Harry his gifts.

'A new homework planner, er, thanks, Hermione,' said Harry, giving the thing a hasty flick through.

'I know you misplaced the old one,' she beamed, 'so I got you a new one. NEWT year won't plan itself.'

'Open mine, Harry,' Ron said hurriedly. He thrust a simple red envelope towards his friend, who carefully tore it open to reveal a card declaring him to have a year-long subscription to _Which Broomstick?_ , which Ginny knew was his favourite wizarding magazine.

'That's brilliant, mate,' Harry said appreciatively. 'If I'm going to get the team into shape this year, I'll need the best pointers.'

Interestingly, James and Sirius had bought him a new broomstick. Recently Harry's Nimbus had been getting a little ragged and battered, so he was now presented with the Firebolt. Running his hands over the sleek, shiny, honey-coloured wood, he said, 'I wish we hadn't already played Quidditch, I can't wait to try this out.'

Ginny stared enviously at the contraption; the contrast in wealth between the Potters and the Weasleys was huge, and very apparent. Her brothers, except Bill, were just as hungrily devouring every inch of Harry's new broom, and she swore that there was a spot of drool bubbling at the corners of Ron's mouth.

'It looks fantastic,' she said.

'You can have a go on it, if you like,' offered Harry immediately. Realising what he'd said after catching sight of the gleeful look on Sirius's face, he added, 'er, and the rest of you, obviously. Ron?'

'Are you joking? You're bloody right I want a go!' Ron exclaimed.

'Language,' said Mrs Weasley, rubbing her temple exhaustedly. 'Open ours, dear.'

They had bought him a new wizard's chess set, and squeezed into the parcel also some home-made fudge.

'This is great,' Harry flashed the Weasleys a warm smile.

Once he'd ripped, torn and rampaged his way through the offerings of Remus and Tonks, Hagrid, Cho and the twins, he turned, expectantly to Ginny, who was tucked into an armchair behind him.

'Weasley?' he said, and there was an unspoken challenge in his eyes.

'I wouldn't forget your birthday, Harry,' she said sweetly. 'My present is on the kitchen table.'

Surprise flickered across his face; clearly he hadn't really expected her to get him anything. He jogged over to where the plainly-wrapped gift lay.

'It looks like a box,' Harry observed, stroking the wrapping paper with delicate ease.

'Just open it,' Sirius said impatiently. He caught Ginny's eye and threw her a devilish grin.

He obliged.

'It's empty – wait, what the f-'

There was a collective gasp from the room as a vibrant red jet of light shot out of the box and hit Harry square in the face. Immediately, he started shaking and shrinking rapidly. A sheen of green scales rippled across his skin; his nose morphed into a tiny snout. Where the Boy-Who-Lived had once stood, there was now a very tiny baby dragon.

Sirius was the first to break the silence by roaring with laughter. Ron and Hermione exchanged shocked glances; James was looking as though he didn't know whether to laugh or faint.

'What on earth have you done, Ginevra?' Mrs Weasley bolted over to where the miniature, fire-breathing beast was stood. Harry-the-dragon was swaying, his four scaly feet planted firmly on the ground, as though he was still in a state of shock.

Fred and George were staring in open admiration, and, by their own admission, fear. 'Merlin. Ginny, how did you do that? That's really complex Transfiguration.'

'I had some help from Hermione,' Ginny shrugged.

Ron turned accusingly on his friend, who at once held her hands up defensively. 'I had no idea what she was planning to do with that information! She asked me how to plant an anthropomorphic spell into an inanimate object. I thought it was for a holiday homework assignment.' Hermione said.

'I think it's a bit of good magic,' Cho spoke up. Ginny looked over gratefully at her. 'Although, I don't know what Harry did to deserve it.'

'It is sort of funny.' said Ron fairly.

Ginny walked over to the little dragon, which had taken a few tentative steps, and gently lifted him up. 'It'll wear off in about half an hour, Harry,' she bore her eyes into his own bright green ones.

'I can't believe you would do this to the poor boy.' Mrs Weasley reprimanded. 'And what happened to not being able to use magic outside of Hogwarts?'

'I prepared it while I was still at school,' explained Ginny, 'but I won't do it again, honestly.'

'Indeed, because I'm confiscating your wand!' Mrs Weasley snapped.

'Molly, don't be ridiculous,' her father came to her defence. 'Ginny played an innocent prank. I admit it wasn't the best birthday present Harry's ever had, but…there are far worse things she could have done.' he looked pointedly at the twins.

They were interrupted by a breathy squeak from the dragon. Apprehensively, Ginny plopped him onto the kitchen table.

A puff of smoke blossomed from its tiny snout, followed by a pocketful of fire, which seemed to extinguish itself as quickly as it had been produced.

'He's very cute,' said Cho.

xxx

The rest of the day passed with little event. Harry-the-dragon entertained them all by flying wobbly loops around the room, and actually collided with the Weasley clock with one of his widespread wings. His sudden transformation back to a boy was made awkward due to the fact that he had been perched on Cho's lap at the time. After a hasty apology and scrambling off her, he had actually grinned at Ginny and said, 'That was one of my favourite presents, Weasley. I can't wait until next year.'

Despite her mother warning her she'd be spending the next day de-gnoming the garden – alone – Ginny felt quite upbeat, especially considering her prank had worked. She considered Harry _almost_ dutifully paid back for his mean little trick on her last year.

'Oh,' she caught Cho's sleeve just as the girl was about to step into the fireplace. 'Someone gave me these, but I don't think I'll use them. D'you want them?'

Cho plucked the magenta coupons out of Ginny's proffered hand. 'Thanks, Ginny! I love Madam Puddifoot's. I can't wait to tell Harry. Bye!'

An evil smile rippled across Ginny's face. Now he was paid back in full.

* * *

 _11_ _th_ _August_

The clock chimed twelve times, and Ginny smiled to herself in the dark.

Fifteen.

Still young, admittedly, but old enough now to shake off her mother's reservations about _boyfriends_ , old enough to muscle her way into Order meetings now that she was the same age her brother, Harry and Hermione had been when they'd done it. Old enough to put her silly girlhood crush on Harry Potter behind her. Right? Right.

She swung her feet out of bed and stuffed them into her slippers, careful not to tread on Hermione, who was staying with them for the remainder of the summer.

It was her birthday tradition, every year, and this year would be no exception.

She hopped over the creaky bottom stair, jumped over a sleeping Crookshanks, and pirouetted over the abandoned Exploding Snap cards by the fireplace. Years of experience allowed her to open and shut the front door with no more than a soft click, and then she was racing across the garden to the broom shed, yanking the safety pin from where it was pinned on her pyjama shorts.

The grass was damp beneath her bare feet as she kicked off, her hands wrapped tightly around Ron's broomstick. She soared through the star-crested sky, suppressing a 'whoop' as cold air ran through her billowing hair.

She'd started her tradition on August 11th, 1987. Her sixth birthday. She'd flung herself on her bed and cried, that night, because her brothers had been adamant that she was too young, too _girly_ , to play Quidditch with them. Furious tears had soaked her pillow, but it was that same searing fury that hadn't allowed her to sleep that night. That had spurred her out of bed, led her to creep clumsily down the stairs, break into the broom shed. She'd stolen Fred's broom (he had been the most vociferous in not letting her play) and spent hours gliding through the air.

She'd worn bags under her eyes for days afterwards, and fallen asleep in her plate of bacon and eggs the next morning, but that tiny act of rebellion had ignited in her the nerve to do whatever she wanted, even if others were set on stopping her.

Breathing heavily, but beaming all over her face, she plodded back into the house. Sweat glistened on her forehead, a tell-tale sheen, but all thoughts of washing her face in the kitchen sink were extinguished when she saw Harry Potter standing by the fireplace.

Ginny jumped and spluttered; he didn't react. He was looking at her with a very strange expression on his face. A mixture between…confusion and…admiration?

'What the _hell_ do you think you're doing, sneaking up on me like that?' she hissed.

'Ron was snoring, I couldn't sleep.' said Harry, but his expression didn't change. 'I saw you through his bedroom window.'

'Mum keeps the Sleeping Draughts in that cupboard.' Ginny said, gesturing vaguely. Her face was burning. What he must have thought…she was standing there in her threadbare, ropey pyjama shorts and t-shirt. Her hair was mussed and sweaty. And she'd been flying with reckless abandon, looping upside-down. It hadn't been her best showing.

'You looked…really happy.' Harry said, suddenly, jolting her from her thoughts. 'You really love it, don't you?'

'Don't you?' she returned. Neither of them spoke for a few, pregnant moments.

'Well.' she said bracingly. 'We'd better go back to bed.'

Harry didn't move. Neither did she.

Maybe it was the fact that it was half one in the morning, and she was slightly delirious. Maybe it was the adrenaline still pumping through her body after flying. Or maybe it was something else, the fact that it was Harry, looking stupidly adorable with his messy black hair and Snitch pyjama bottoms, and that he was easy to talk to and staring at her as though he could see past her defences. But Ginny opened her mouth and blurted:

'It helps me forget about the Chamber.'

Harry's eyes, which had been roaming her rapidly heating face, snapped to her own.

'When I fly, I forget about Tom Riddle and the things he made me do,' she whispered. 'I can forget about hurting people and almost closing the school and getting Hagrid sent to Azkaban. Most days, I have to carry that with me, and I've accepted it, because I have to. But Harry...when I'm flying, I can really _forget_ that it happened. That stupid little Ginny Weasley sold her soul to an enchanted diary.'

She hadn't realised while she was talking, but Harry had moved towards her so that his hands were skimming her own. He was looking at her, not with pity, or revulsion, but…well…

'I'm sorry. I'm sorry all that stuff happened to you. But it wasn't your fault.' said Harry. 'I'm sorry I never talked to you about it…I should have. I was there too.' he frowned. 'And you're not stupid, all right? You're the furthest thing from it. Fred and George have told me all about your Bat Bogey Hex, you know. And Malfoy had some strong words to say about it too.'

Ginny smiled, and he returned it. 'Look, Ginny. If you want to talk about…that stuff…you can talk to me. We're friends. Not just because of Ron,' he added quickly, 'because I like having you as my friend.' he said, seriously.

 _This is fine. I can be Harry's friend._

Dean was coming over for her birthday. He had lovely, emerald green eyes… _No!_ she told herself, abandoning _that_ train of thought. _Harry's my friend. We're like family._

Encouraged, Ginny pulled him into a light hug. She felt him tense, and then return it. It was a little awkward, and neither of them really seemed to know when to pull away, and when they did, he nodded at her and moved towards the stairs.

 _I can. I can be his friend. I can hug him and feel nothing_

'Oh.' he turned, suddenly, with a shifty grin. 'Happy birthday, Weasley. I can't wait to give you your present.'

And with that, he shuffled hastily up the stairs.

 _Well, fuck_. Ginny almost groaned aloud. He smelled of milky soap and soft cotton, his smile was crooked, and his eyes were that stupid, stupid green that made her palms itchy and her stomach drop.

There was absolutely no way that they could just be friends.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So I just wanted to clear up a few things…  
This story is AU. The things I've tweaked are as follows:  
-James Potter was not killed in October 1981. He and Sirius Black raised Harry  
-Ginny has been dating Dean since her fourth year, rather than Michael Corner, and Harry has been dating Cho Chang for the same period of time  
-The events of every book up until now remain the same (e.g. Triwizard Tournament, Umbridge) with a few exceptions, e.g. Sirius wasn't killed at the Department of Mysteries

Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts! I have a lot of one-shots planned already, but may be open to requests!


	2. Quidditch Daze

**Disclaimer:** Yeaaaa, I still don't own harry potter!

 **Author's Note:** hi all! thanks so much to those who left reviews on the first chapter, I had the biggest smile reading them. thanks also to those who favourited+alerted but didnt bother reviewing, lmaoooo  
 _Anyway_ , I hope you enjoy this next oneshot! It's set a little while after the first one, when they're back at Hogwarts, and, as you can guess from the title, is Quidditch themed. the timeline jumps around a little but follows the events of HBP pretty closely, with a few twists :)

* * *

Chapter Two – Quidditch Daze

* * *

'Cold pumpkin juice, a stack of buttered toast, scrambled eggs.' said Vicky, as Ginny clumsily slid onto the Gryffindor table, rubbing sleep from her eyes. 'Eat up, flying works up an appetite.'

'That's right, you're trying out for Chaser too, aren't you?' Demelza Robins piped up from across the table. She had very little on her plate, and her face was slightly damp with perspiration. 'I couldn't eat a thing, I'm too nervous.'

'I'm a Weasley, eating's in my blood.' said Ginny, grinning, as she bit into a piece of toast. 'Thanks, Vicky. You're coming to watch tryouts, right?'

'We're all coming,' Vicky smiled in an uncharacteristically wicked manner. 'Everyone from our dorm, the lads from our Herbology table, Dean…'

Ginny's stomach twisted uncomfortably, but she fought to keep her face impassive as she said, 'Good.'

'You've been flying around with Harry Potter all summer, haven't you?' said Vicky. 'So you're bound to be even better than last year. Have you seen he's got a Firebolt?'

Ginny's response died on her lips when the boy in question moseyed casually into the Great Hall, muttering, as usual, to Ron. Harry, she definitely didn't notice, looked as adorably dishevelled as ever. Ron just looked pale.

'Morning,' she said cheerfully, as they took seats only a few heads away. 'Ready for today?'

Ron shrugged miserably, but Harry returned her grin. 'I see someone's bulking up.' he said cheekily. 'Good. Those Bludgers are going to be a real menace without Fred and George to keep them in check.'

'Eat something, Ron.' Ginny mumbled, her mouth full of hot eggs. 'You'll faint otherwise.'

'She's right,' said Harry. 'Look, you've played perfectly fine with us all summer, alright? So how much different can today be?'

The conversation slowly faded to a low hum as Ginny, her third slice of toast frozen halfway to her mouth, lost herself in watching her brother's best friend. His eyes really were a disconcertingly bright green. And that with that perpetually unkempt black hair he looked like he'd already played a few games of Quidditch. And he was relentlessly and unashamedly bolstering poor Ron's spirits even though they both knew there would probably be better Keepers trying out that day, and that counted for a lot in Ginny's book.

' _As_ I was saying…' Vicky prodded Ginny, hard, and she snapped out of her reverie. 'You're not even listening to me, are you?'

'Er…' Ginny crammed the remainder of the toast into her mouth and racked her brains for a good enough excuse for someone as sharp as Vicky Frobisher. 'I was trying to remember what the twins said about Oliver Wood's pep talks.'

'You were staring at Harry.' Vicky said dryly. 'And don't try to deny it. It's not the first time I've seen you looking at him.'

Her cheeks kissed a delicate pink, Ginny said, hotly, 'No I wasn't. I was –'

'He's looking at you, now,' Vicky smirked behind her glass of pumpkin juice. 'He's been doing that a lot lately.'

Ginny peeked through her curtain of long red hair towards the two boys. Sure enough, Ron was now cutting into his sausages with a renewed gusto, and Harry was looking at her. His face was slack with a kind of softness she'd never seen there before, at least when directed towards her…

He quickly looked away, into his own breakfast, and Ginny ignored Vicky's giggles.

 _Not possible_ , she told herself firmly. _Today's about one thing, and one thing only, and that's getting on this team. Not Harry. Not Harry._

She made sure to talk only to Demelza and Vicky for the remainder of breakfast, and resisted the urge to check if Harry was looking at her again, even though the hot prickling on her neck told her all she needed to know.

* * *

 _weeks later_

'Well, _I_ liked your commentary, Luna.' said Ginny, as the two girls walked despondently back to the changing rooms.

'Thank you,' Luna smiled serenely. 'But I expect you're more worried about Harry right now than what people might be saying about my commentary. That was a pretty nasty fall.'

Ginny's fists clenched involuntarily and she gritted her teeth. That Cormac McLaggen. If she ever got her hands on that big, lumbering oaf…

' _You idiot, Weasley, what did you let him do that for?' McLaggen barked, approaching her with unnerving speed and abandoning the goalposts as he did so. 'That's another goal for them, you stupid girl. I knew Potter got you on the team for one reason and one reason only, and that's so he can shag y-'_

' _McLaggen, will you pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing and leave everyone else alone!'_ _Harry bellowed, as the green-and-silver crowd below cheered at their latest goal._

 _Ginny, praying Harry hadn't heard the full extent of McLaggen's tirade, pelted towards a nearby Slytherin Chaser who was clutching the Quaffle._

 _Only minutes later…_

'Oh, he'll be fine,' Luna assured her, misreading her furious expression. 'Madam Pomfrey is the best. I'll bring him some Gurdyroot juice later, it might perk him up.'

'Er, yeah,' said Ginny. 'That stuff's definitely…interesting.' she caught sight of McLaggen storming through the tangle of mud and grass ahead and made to go after him. 'I'm going to _kill_ him.'

'I think Harry will want to do that himself, when he wakes up.' said Luna. 'But by all means, defend his honour. He'll definitely appreciate that.'

Ginny eyed her. 'Meaning?'

'Ginny!' it was Dean, panting heavily and accompanied by Seamus and Parvati. They'd obviously just jogged over from the stands. 'Come on, let's get back to the Common Room. We can't stand the Slytherins' bragging any longer.'

'I'll go.' said Luna. 'Bye, Ginny.' she smiled dreamily at her friend and departed from the group.

Ginny, still in her filthy Quidditch gear, but suddenly overcome by the allure of a nice warm fire and comfy Gryffindor armchair, let Dean and the others walk her back towards the castle.

'Some match, eh?' Seamus said, shaking his head. 'I thought Harry was a goner at the end there.'

'Nah, he's got nine lives.' Dean laughed. 'I reckon you could run him through with a sword and the bloke would still be walking around just fine.'

'He could have died,' Ginny said harshly, and they all turned to look at her.

'He didn't, though.' said Dean, with questionable logic. 'Besides, did you see the way that Bludger just knocked him clean out?' he laughed again. 'He just went flying backwards, that McLaggen's got a strong arm.'

Seamus chuckled appreciatively; Parvati winced and glanced over at Ginny.

Ginny stopped walking. The spitting inferno of rage towards McLaggen was suddenly being directed towards her boyfriend.

'That's not funny.' she said angrily. 'My brother's in the hospital, he almost died. Now the same thing happens to Harry and you're making jokes about it?'

She glared, hard, into Dean's countenance of unease. 'Piss off.' with those final words, she was stomping away from the three, without caring about the muddy water she was splattering all down her robes.

* * *

Ron was asleep when she ran haphazardly through the doors into the hospital wing, passed a startled Madam Pomfrey. Harry, however, had regained consciousness, and was propped up against his pillows, glaring into thin air.

'I won't tease you about the match, I know you must be as angry as I am.' she said, quietly, slipping into an empty chair by his bedside. Someone had organised his bedside table so that the half-eaten bar of chocolate, Quidditch magazine and glass of water were neatly positioned for his convenience. _Hermione_ , she thought with a smile.

'So, where is it?' said Harry, far more cheerily than someone who had just been hit by a Bludger and fallen fifty feet should be.

'Where's what?' Ginny said, confusedly. She paused. 'Oh no, has the fall addled your brains, Potter?'

'What was that about not teasing me?' Harry returned. 'I mean my card. My get-well card. It's a tradition. So, come on.'

Ginny laughed, despite the hot flush that was creeping up her neck. 'I thought we agreed never to speak of that again. I was twelve.'

'We did, on the sole proviso that I get an authentic Ginny Weasley get-well card every time I end up in here.' Harry grinned, gesturing around. 'What do you think's been stopping me from getting out of here and strangling McLaggen?'

'I came straight here.' Ginny said, pointing to her dirty Quidditch attire. 'But expect your singing card in the next few days.'

Harry smiled again, but didn't say anything. His legs, poking clumsily out of the sheets, were twitching. He was, she realised, bored. He didn't like being cooped up in the hospital wing, yet again.

'Want to play Exploding Snap?' she suggested. 'Although we might wake Ron…or I can fetch his wizard's chess set?'

'Just talk to me.' said Harry. He was looking at her so intensely; her cheeks burned under the heavy scrutiny of those green, green eyes. 'About…whatever.'

'Well, OWLs are crap.' she said, and he laughed. 'Lavender and Ron are sickening. Snape's a greasy git. What else is new?'

'When I said we were friends on your birthday, I meant it.' said Harry, seriously. 'But I don't get that much time to talk to you, without Ron or Hermione or your family there. I don't know as much about my friend Ginny Weasley as I should. So…talk.'

 _That's because you've not bothered to try until the past few years_ , Ginny thought, but didn't say.

She looked at him, hard, for a long moment, inhaled sharply, and spoke.

'I think I know what I want to do, after I leave Hogwarts.' she said, and paused. His eyes greedily roamed her face, but his expression was impassive; he was waiting. So she continued.

'I know you're going to laugh, alright, and I know it's stupid, but ever since we went to see the World Cup two years ago, I've wanted to fly for England in it. Alright?' she stared defiantly back at him, her eyes narrowed, her fists tangled up in the bedsheets.

But he wasn't laughing.

Instead, he was looking at her with a steady, unbroken gaze that was…well…heated, there was no other way of describing it…and there was that softness in his eyes again…

'Why would I laugh?' he said, finally. Before she could respond, he was shaking his head. 'Ginny…you're the best player on the team. Better than me, probably, and I think I'm pretty alright. If you want to play for England at the Quidditch World Cup, I think that's bloody fantastic.'

Some wretched desire to kiss him was back, she could feel the raw desire pumping through her veins. Her fingers twitched irritably at the base of his torso, but she knew that she couldn't. She couldn't. Not when she couldn't be sure he wanted that too. Even from the way he was looking at her now.

He was dating Cho Chang. And she was with Dean. And that was just how things were.

'I've never told anyone that before.' she said, instead, aware of how haggard her breathing suddenly was. _It's just Harry,_ she thought furiously, _it's just Harry, come on now, breathe._ 'I should go….homework, you know, and I've got to wash all this off me.'

'Yeah.' Harry said, but she was already scrambling up, and in the midst of her embarrassment his heavy voice was miles away.

'Ginny.'

She grimaced and turned around, mustering nonchalance.

'I'm glad you told me. If you couldn't tell anyone else. I'm glad it was me.'

She left without saying another word, but the meaning of those words was thick and heavy in the back of her throat.

* * *

'I want a word with you.'

Cho Chang was graceful by word and by manner. Even when adversarial, she seemed to glide with remarkable ease, her dark, oriental eyes alight in the afternoon sun.

It was this eloquence that made it impossible for Ginny to be anything but demure and polite as she slowed down her pace to allow the older girl to catch up with her.

'Hi,' she said, far more brightly than she felt. Her head was still woolly with thoughts of Harry. With his earlier words.

 _I'm glad it was me._

'Don't act casual, Ginny, there's really no point. Let's just get it out in the open.' Cho said snidely, and she pulled Ginny aside from the flowing throng of students. 'I'm pretty sick of playing second fiddle to you lately. Don't-' she gestured quickly with her hand, as Ginny opened her mouth, '-don't even try to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Everyone's noticed, bloody _Peeves_ has noticed, Harry barely spares me a second glance when you're around.'

'That's not true. Harry and I have known each other for years, our families are best friends, for Merlin's sake, of course we're close-'

' _Hermione_ and Harry are close friends,' Cho said derisively, ' _you_ and Harry are something else entirely. You think I haven't seen the way he looks at you, with those big mooning eyes, laughing at all your jokes, lighting up every time you come in the room-'

Her lovely eyes were watery, her voice choked.

'And all that's only when I'm around…Merlin knows what happens behind the scenes…' she heaved a theatrical breath with what seemed like enormous effort. 'I'm only telling you all this because I'm done. I'm breaking up with Harry as soon as he gets out of the hospital wing. I can't pretend that Harry wants to be with me anymore, when everyone around here knows he doesn't.'

'I have a boyfriend.' said Ginny, although her head was swimming with Cho's tearful confessions. 'And Harry needs you. You know what a tough few years he's had – the Tournament, then last year-'

'He doesn't need me!' Cho fired back. 'Just because you're choosing to ignore what everyone else can see, doesn't mean I am!'

With that, she stormed away, tears now freely staining her cheeks, leaving Ginny alone in the corridor amongst the din of the surrounding portraits.

'Well, I _say_! Fighting over a boy, utterly ridiculous!'

'They each gave as good as they got, I say.'

'It's about time these students learn to deal with private matters _privately_ , and not in the corridors!'

* * *

'What happened?' Hermione said immediately, as Harry walked tiredly into the Common Room. She and Ron seemed to have put their recent differences aside, and were working alone into the night (Hermione was working. Ron was staring miserably at his parchment).

'Blimey, Hermione, give him a chance. He only got out of the hospital wing a few hours ago.' Ron looked up from his half-finished Potions essay. 'Alright, mate?'

'We broke up.' said Harry, slouching into an armchair and warming his hands by the fire.

'Oh.' Hermione glanced at Ron uncertainly. 'Well. That's…a shame.'

'I think you're well shot of her.' Ron said candidly. 'She was nice enough, but a Tornadoes supporter? Anyway, you don't seem too cut up about it.'

'I'm not.' said Harry, shrugging. 'I used to fancy her, yeah, but…I dunno…not so much anymore. I don't think we're really that compatible.'

'Why did you break up?' demanded Hermione, chewing the end of her quill.

'Er…' Harry glanced at Ron and quickly looked away again. 'She said I was, er, spending too much time with another girl…other girls, I mean.'

'Not this rubbish with Hermione again.' said Ron. 'I thought she got over that after last year.'

'Er, nope, not Hermione.' Harry said shiftily. Hermione was staring at him with a very hard, scrutinising look on her face. Try as he might, he couldn't guise his discomfort.

'Well, who?' said Ron. 'Other than us…well, Ginny, I suppose, but who else other than her?'

Hermione was smirking now. Harry, aware of his cheeks reddening, stuffed his hands into his pockets and said, just to wipe the smugness from her face, said, 'Lavender, maybe? She's around us a lot.'

Ron snorted. 'She's mad. Absolutely mad, Harry. You're better off.' he gathered up his dog-eared parchment and ink and said, 'I'm going to bed. I've had enough of Snape's subject for today. Coming?'

Harry looked over at Hermione again. Her arms were folded and she had a most formidable expression on her face.

'Yeah, in a minute.'

Ron nodded and departed for the boys' dormitories, muttering obscenities about Snape under his breath.

'Spending too much time with another girl.' Hermione said. 'Well, I think that narrows it down a fair bit, don't you?'

'I don't know what you're talking about.' said Harry. 'Goodnight.'

'Hold on.' Hermione leapt to her feet, pushing her bushy mane eagerly from her face. 'Ginny Weasley, Harry. I'm not an idiot and clearly, neither is Cho. You're more obvious than Ron with Madam Rosmerta.' she said the last part acidly.

'I'm not,' said Harry, too quickly, and Hermione quirked an eyebrow up in triumph. He could barely be heard over the slow crackling of the fire as he said, 'She's over me, isn't she.'

Hermione gathered up her books and quills, frowning, and Harry watched her with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Of course she was. Ginny was spirited and fiery and bloody good on a broomstick, and, he thought furiously, unfairly beautiful. She was spoiled, Ginny, with her bright brown eyes the colour of warm honey, and sweet-smelling red hair that was probably silk on his fingertips, and a slight dusting of freckles that probably continued to her –

'Don't be too sure.'

Hermione, halfway up the stairs, had turned and spoken. Her tone was delicate, but meaningful, and it gave Harry a new, fresh sense of hope. If it wasn't for Ron, his best friend and Ginny's brother, snoring away upstairs, and Dean, his good friend and Ginny's boyfriend, lying in the bed next to him, he'd almost have felt confident.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** well, dayummm. hope they get their act together soon :(  
lol i'm just joking. course they will. I have many plans heheheh.

fun fact: i finished this at one am and I have work tomorrow :/ these are the sacrifices I make for harry potter. lol totally worth it of course

Reviews are like cold Butterbeer on a hot day (and we've had many hot days here in britain recently, anyone else sweltering in the heat?).


	3. Arnold Approves

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter. But I do own a pygmy puff (plush version. I got it in harry potter world in florida and they did a naming ceremony and everything. he's called arnold too)

 **Author's Note:** thank you all who reviewed, you are all wonderful! Special shout out to **hills** because your review made my day, and don't worry, I have special plans for your request ;) This chapter, as the title indicates, features the lil purple fluffball Arnold. I'm still bitter about the fact he got about five seconds screentime in the films.  
Fun fact: I always listen to music when writing but for some reason I had to keep listening to 'jesse's girl' on repeat for this chapter. so if you want to get more of a feel for my frame of mind, have a listen while you read :)

* * *

Chapter Three – Arnold Approves

* * *

Dean Thomas was most definitely not stupid.

He'd totted up decent marks in his OWLs; he was handy with a quill and Hagrid couldn't stop gushing over his recent portrait of the Giant Squid, and more importantly, he'd noticed that since Cho Chang and Harry Potter broke up, the latter had been on Dean's girlfriend like Nifflers on gold.

Potter probably thought he was being subtle, thought Dean derisively, hiding heated, green-eyed stares at Ginny behind his glasses. Offering to look over her Defence Against the Dark essay was simply being helpful. And allowing her to take his beloved Firebolt for joyrides whenever she wanted was just an act of kindness. Right?

Wrong. Potter wanted Ginny; his desire was clumsily hidden in all of those 'subtle' acts. Dean had grumpily mentioned this to Seamus, but his best friend apparently hadn't been paying as close attention as he had.

Dean had to admit that he hadn't twigged himself until Potter had – not for the first time – stumbled across he and Ginny lip-locked in the passage behind the tapestry. Ron Weasley had been with Potter at the time, and Ginny had been too engaged in her vicious exchange with him to see what Dean had…Harry, sending a searing glare his way; his wand trembling in his fingers, and what looked suspiciously like a jinx half-formed on his lips. Dean was no stranger to jealousy and he recognised it in its purest form all over Harry's contorted face.

Since then, he'd felt and noted every dirty look and stare Potter had thrown his way whenever he and Ginny so much as shared a private joke. It did not help matters that Potter's father was high up in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry and, despite how good-humoured, warm and kind Dean had always found him, was not somebody he wanted to cross. People still giggled in the corridors about the infamous Hogwarts visit of James Potter and Sirius Black after particularly nasty incident in which Professor Snape had 'accidentally' spilled an entire cauldron of one of Neville's failed potions on Harry, causing him to spend two weeks in the hospital wing. The shouting and blasts of light had been heard halfway across the school.

But that didn't mean Dean was willing to just let Potter take his girlfriend.

So when he heard Romilda Vane excitedly whispering to her gaggle of fellow fourth-years that Potter and Chang had finally called time on their relationship, he knew he had to up his game. And that meant grovelling for what he considered a few reasonable, light-hearted jokes about Potter's Quidditch mishap.

'You know I think Harry and I are good mates, I wouldn't actually want him to get hurt,' Dean was saying gruffly, as he and Ginny approached the entrance to the Common Room. A first-year scuttled past clutching a Fanged Frisbee, which he was – poorly – attempting to conceal under his jumper.

'Besides, we know Harry's fine now…' Dean wheedled as Ginny laughed at the first-year's antics. He could see she was softening under his persistent persuasion, but her eyebrows were still poised at a dangerously sharp angle on her face.

'That's not the point,' she said, but allowed him to take her hand and pull her cloddishly under his arm.

'By all means, dears, don't stop your domestic on my account.' the Fat Lady boomed, suddenly, and they both jumped as she glowered down at them. It appeared she was in a rather bad mood.

'Dilligrout.' Ginny ignored the belligerent portrait and, muttering darkly, the Fat Lady swung open to reveal the portrait hole.

'So, am I forgiven yet?' said Dean. As Ginny opened her mouth to respond, he extended an arm and gave her a light shove so that she was boosted into the passage. Instead of thanking him, his girlfriend angrily turned around and said, 'What are you doing?'

'Helping you through.' Dean said, bewildered. 'C'mon, I'm cold, let's go in.'

'For the tenth time, I don't need your help to get through the portrait hole, Dean.' snapped Ginny. 'I've been doing it myself since I was eleven.'

'Well, excuse me for trying to be a good boyfriend.' Dean said hotly, before he could help himself. 'I suppose if _Harry_ helped you through, you wouldn't have a problem with that at all!'

He heard the Fat Lady inhale sharply and cursed inwardly for letting his temper get the better of him. 'Ginny-'

'Oh, just bugger off.' she hissed at him, clambering through the passage and sweeping through the Common Room, leaving a trail of perplexed Gryffindors in her wake. His eyes followed her and flickered down to her waist; her fingers were twitching irritably at the base of her wand, but he also spied something small and purple poking out of her pocket.

Dean was sure it was just his imagination, but was Ginny's pygmy puff glaring at him? He huffed loudly and scanned the room for Seamus, eager to rant about what had just happened, when he noticed Potter closeted in an armchair, clutching a bit of old parchment. His gaze shifted from resting on Ginny's retreating figure and landed on Dean. His eyes flashed from behind his glasses and although Seamus wouldn't believe him later, Dean saw the faintest glimmer of victory in them before both boys looked away.

* * *

'So it's really over this time? You're not just taking a break from things?'

Harry bit back the sharp retort that had sprung to mind when his dad doubted the finality of his failed relationship with Cho Chang. After all, they'd only 'taken a break' once, the previous year, and it hadn't really been a break so much as a splintering argument about Cho's friend Marietta Edgecombe. Marietta had remained a sore subject even after they'd made up; rather like a rotten tooth in the relationship – not easily brushed over.

'Yeah, Dad, we're definitely finished.' Harry said, firmly, staring into the lurid green flames of the Floo. He didn't bother to fake annoyance when Sirius was heard loudly whooping in the background.

Although his godfather had been particularly glacial towards Cho after Marietta's betrayal of Harry's rebellious defence group, Dumbledore's Army, he had never particularly been keen on the relationship from the beginning, and had been overheard saying to James, 'I wish he'd get on with it, even you weren't this thick'.

'Er, Sirius sends his condolences,' James coughed into the fire. 'Anyway, are you alright? Breakups can sting worse than a Grindylow bite, but in time, you'll forget why you were ever upset-'

'I'm fine.' Harry shrugged. 'It was sort of mutual. I, er…' he surreptitiously glanced around the Common Room before continuing. Despite finding it empty when he'd begun the Floo call with his dad, a quick _Muffliato_ – thanks 'Prince' – had been in order. The attraction of offloading the thoughts that had been nagging at him for weeks now was stoppered only by the importance of not being overheard. 'I like someone else.'

'What? Did he just say he likes someone else?'

'Yes, Padfoot, but-'

'Let me speak to him. Budge over, Prongs. Go and polish your broomstick, or something.'

'Sirius-'

'Trust me. Who did you come to for advice about Lily, eh? Me. So –'

'Yeah, and I seem to remember following your advice getting me hexed, which I think was the objective all along…'

'Well, you got there in the end, didn't you? So, if you don't mind…'

Harry grinned as his godfather's shaggy, dishevelled head materialised in the flames, but felt a little uneasy at how broadly and wickedly Sirius was grinning back. There was a rather canine like sheen in his eyes which he had been known to acquire when plotting something.

'If you're going to get him in trouble, just make sure it can't be traced back to me. The last thing I need is another scary Floo call from Professor McGonagall.' James shouted in the background, flippantly.

'Ignore him. So, another girl on the brain, Harry?' said Sirius.

'Yeah. Has been for a while now.' said Harry, scratching the back of his neck for no particular reason. 'I'm not telling you who it is, though. You've got a bigger mouth than Hagrid.'

Sirius frowned. 'If you can't tell me, who can you tell?'

Harry hesitated, and it took was that fraction of a second where the corners of his mouth twitched and his eyes dropped, for Sirius to break into a gleeful, raucous laugh.

'So not Ron, then?' he said, his smirk practically alight in the glowing coals. 'Why's that? Worried what he might say if he knew who it was?'

'No.' said Harry, too quickly. 'I'm just waiting for the dust to settle with Cho.'

'Right,' Sirius said, knowingly. 'A little advice, Harry. Go for what you want. It's about taking risks, and it sounds to me like you've been trying to make it work with Cho because it seems like the easier option. You deserve something like what your parents had.'

'Yeah.' Harry paused, deliberating. He suspected Sirius knew who he liked, but was exercising, rather uncharacteristically, enough restraint not to say so. However, if he kept talking, and made it obvious…

'She's not, ah, unattached.' he said, finally. 'She's got a boyfriend. And he's a decent bloke. But, I sort of hate him right now. And I don't think she even likes me in that way.' _Anymore_.

Sirius considered this. In the silence, Hermione's wonky-legged cat, Crookshanks, padded over to Harry and sat with his yellow eyes fixed on something above the fireplace.

'A boyfriend, eh? Sounds like a challenge,' he said, laughing as Harry furrowed his brow. 'I'm kidding. But a boyfriend isn't the be-all and end-all. A lot can change in a small amount of time. This time next week they might not even be on speaking terms.'

Harry privately disagreed. Unless he was imagining it, Dean had suddenly become a ubiquitous presence whenever he managed to get Ginny on her own. It made matters very complicated, because Harry genuinely liked Dean, and had to fight very hard not to set things on fire when the other boy interrupted another one of their conversations.

'So, when are we going to get to meet the lady in question?' Sirius jolted him out of his reverie. Still wracked with the same feelings of guilt he'd been wrestling with for weeks now, Harry absent-mindedly said, 'you already have.'

Sirius' eyes lit up and Harry cursed under his breath. 'I mean…you'll have seen her around at Hogwarts. You know.'

Sirius laughed. 'Nice try, Harry. It's Ginny Weasley, isn't it? You can't kid a kidder.'

Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands.

'JAMES! IT'S _GINNY_!'

'What – seriously?' Harry heard his father call, excitedly. 'Harry – that's fantastic!'

'You think?' said Harry suspiciously.

'Yeah!' said James, his face now bobbing back into the fireplace. 'We love Ginny. And, well, she seems like a much better match for you than Cho.'

'What about Ron though?'

James and Sirius exchanged glances. 'I reckon Ron would be happier for his best mate to be dating his sister than any other git.' Sirius said confidently. 'He knows you, he trusts you, and let's not forget that Ginny will eat him alive if he tries to interfere with her love life.'

 _You don't know the half of it_ , Harry thought, wincing as he remembered the nasty, and rather public, fight the siblings had had not that long ago.

'Blimey, it's getting late. You'd better be off to bed.' said James. 'And don't worry about Ron or, er, Dean, isn't it? Yeah. Don't worry about them. Things will work out for the best.'

Sirius agreed, and feeling slightly pluckier, Harry bid them both goodnight and headed up to bed. He did not notice the small and fluffy purple creature watching him from the top of the fireplace, with a rather calculating look on its face.

* * *

Arnold loved Ginny Weasley.

He loved that she let him ride on her shoulder for most of the day and pointed out interesting things around the school grounds for him to see. He loved that she introduced him to all her friends and they all fawned over him. He loved that she tickled him softly in that spot he liked, just under his tiny chin. But more than anything, he loved that she seemed to be just as fond of him as he was of her.

He nestled himself a little more comfortably on beside Ginny's ear as they walked down to Herbology with some of her friends.

Tuning out their chatter, Arnold pondered the conversation he had overheard the previous night. Potter had admitted to having feelings of the romantic kind for Ginny. Arnold liked Potter. He was friendly and always gave the pygmy puff a little pat or stroke whenever he stopped to speak to Ginny (which was a lot).

Arnold tried not to eavesdrop on Ginny's conversations, but it was difficult not to when he was present for most of them and had little else to do but nibble on her earlobe affectionately. And it just so happened that he had witnessed not only Ginny flirting with Potter, but Ginny admitting to certain friends – mainly Lovegood, Frobisher and Granger – that _yes,_ Harry was attractive, and _yes,_ he was funny and charming, and _yes,_ if she wasn't dating Dean she'd still fancy him, but of course, she was, and so she didn't…

Suddenly sleepy from all that contemplation – he was only little, after all – Arnold felt his small, beady little eyes drooping and resigned himself to a nap.

* * *

'…I know,' Ginny was saying. 'It's fine. Really, Dean.'

Arnold's eyes snapped open. They were in what appeared to be the Room of Requirement. It was empty, apart from a few books which seemed to be floating by the ceiling and a roaring fireplace surrounded by cushions.

'Good. Because I hate it when we argue.' said Dean, smiling.

'So do I,' said Ginny, but she sounded vague. Arnold couldn't help but wonder how much persuading it had taken for Dean to bring her here. He also did not like the implication of their cosy, intimate surroundings.

Dean leaned forward to kiss her; Arnold scowled at him and his fur puffed up a little; Dean sprang back, looking rather peeved.

'Do you – do you have to have that thing with you all the time?' he said, rubbing his eyebrow. 'It's creepy.'

At seeing Ginny's surprised expression, he quickly elaborated. 'The pygmy thing. It's always with you, even when we're…you know. Kissing.'

'His name is Arnold.' said Ginny hotly; Arnold felt her shoulders tense and her pulse quicken dangerously. He tried to hiss in solidarity, but it came out as more of a quiet purr. 'And he's not creepy.'

'It watches me.' Dean argued. It was clear that he was struggling between the desire to banish the offending pygmy puff and his consciousness of Ginny's temper.

'He's interested in you, he's not doing anything wrong!' Ginny glared back at her boyfriend. 'It's no different to Hedwig nipping your fingers when she's delivering a letter, or Crookshanks following people-'

'Hedwig, eh?' Dean interrupted. His eyes were narrowed and steely, his arms folded ominously. 'Get letters from Harry a lot, do you?'

'It was an example!' said Ginny, incredulously, but Arnold saw the tips of her ears reddening. 'And what is with you and Harry? For the last _bloody_ time, he's my brother's best friend!' she tossed her long, red hair out of her face in anger and acquired what Arnold had heard her brothers refer to as her 'Mum face' – a scorching glare that was difficult to stare into without squirming.

'I'll tell you what's wrong, you clearly like Potter and he – OW!'

Dean's hand flew to his ear and Arnold, snapping his mouth shut, tumbled to the ground.

'It bit me! It _bit me_!' Dean shouted. 'Look!'

'Don't be stupid, he hasn't got teeth!' Ginny crouched down and opened her palm; Arnold rolled into it and tried not to smile for fear of revealing the set of pointy little jaws he'd just dug into Dean's ear. 'He was just being friendly.'

Dean, trying to inspect his ear for bleeding puncture marks, angrily rounded on Ginny. 'Friendly? Bloody Skrewts are friendlier than that thing!'

Arnold blinked innocently at Ginny, whose own jaw was set, hard. He saw something like finality flash in her dark amber eyes and knew instantly what was about to happen.

'Dean…' Ginny sighed. 'I think we need to accept what's going on here.'

Dean stared at her. 'Ginny –'

'I don't think this is working out for either of us. I can't be your girlfriend any more.' said Ginny, gently.

'This is about Harry, isn't it.' said Dean, looking down at his feet defeatedly.

'No.' Ginny said. 'It's about the fact that we don't complement each other very well.'

Dean shook his head, almost sardonically, but seemed to decide against arguing the point. Instead, he nodded at Ginny, turned on his heel, and left.

Arnold tried very hard not to smile. After all, he was still hiding his teeth.

* * *

Harry couldn't help but indulge in a small grin as he walked past the Room of Requirement and spotted Malfoy lurking at its concealed entrance, muttering angrily under his breath. It appeared the Room was in use and the vile Slytherin was unable to get up to whatever Dark Magic he'd been planning on practicing for the time being.

'It _is_ weird that he's always hanging around there.' Ron said, as Hermione looked on disapprovingly. 'Oh, come on, Hermione, even you've got to admit it's dodgy.'

'Mmm,' said Hermione, but she frowned a little as they passed a small girl hovering uncertainly at the end of the corridor. 'If you're not in a lesson right now, you should be in your Common Room.' she said, not unkindly. The girl mumbled something incoherent and fled.

They made their way into the Great Hall and took seats at the Gryffindor table; Harry could not help but notice that Ginny was missing. So was Dean. Harry processed this information and a dark cloud of gloom passed over him. Knowing his luck they were back behind that tapestry snogging. Trying to remember Sirius's cheery confidence, he cut into his steak-and-kidney pie.

'Why are you sitting next to her?'

Harry felt his mood drop even more as a distraction appeared in the form of Lavender Brown, whose petulant voice went straight through him. She was glowering at Hermione, Parvati behind her.

Ron made an annoyed retort; Hermione seemed to be hiding a smile behind her goblet of pumpkin juice. Harry, however, was now perking up; Dean was sloping into the Great Hall – alone – and gave Harry a look very similar to the one Lavender had given Hermione. Could this mean…?

Dean sat beside Seamus and the two started whispering; Harry quickly looked away only to see Hermione raising her eyebrows at him.

Dinner was not a pleasant affair.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione (minus Lavender, who had gone off in a huff) returned to Gryffindor Tower, they found Ginny sitting in one of the sofas surrounded by friends, knee-deep in a discussion she clearly did not want to be having. Arnold the pygmy puff was rolling around happily in her lap. Harry was having a hard time listening to the conversation and admiring how her hair was shining brightly in the firelight at the same time.

'Let's get started on the non-verbals for McGonagall.' Ron said to him, pulling his thoughts momentarily away from Ginny. 'I don't want to be the only one in the class who can't do it.'

Hermione looked both surprised and pleased at this newfound work ethic and it was perhaps this which made her amenable to helping Ron practice. Harry was trying to listen, but found his eyes kept straying over to Ginny. She was now talking to Vicky Frobisher, her best friend, but her mood did not seem anything like Dean's had been earlier. Harry was weighing up what this might mean when –

'Harry, are you listening? You're not going to get the hang of non-verbal spells unless you concentrate.' Hermione said. 'And this is one thing the _Prince_ can't help you with.'

Harry rolled his eyes and looked over at Ron. He didn't seem to have made much progress, but he was at least holding his wand; Harry's was poking out of his robes, untouched.

'Er, right.'

It was not until a few hours later that the Common Room emptied out and only Ron, Hermione and Ginny remained. Ron and Harry had given up and were playing wizard's chess; Hermione's quill was scratching away at her parchment as usual, and Ginny had her nose buried in Harry's latest subscription of _Which Broomstick?_.

'Take that!' Ron laughed as he had one of Harry's pawns brutally demolished. 'Hard luck, mate.'

'You idiot, what did you let him do that for?' demanded Harry's king. 'Here, move that knight there-'

'I don't get it.' Harry shook his head. 'This is _my_ chess set, shouldn't the pieces trust me?'

'You've only played with it a few times,' Ron shrugged. 'They don't trust you until you've played with them for a while…and won.' he grinned.

'Don't feel bad, Harry, Ron's the Weasley reigning champion.' Ginny said, lowering her magazine. Her eyes were sparkling with mirth. 'Even Fred and George can't beat him, and they're as sneaky and tactical as they come.'

'What about you?' said Harry, grinning back. 'I find it hard to believe you haven't beat him at some point, given your proclivity for troublemaking. Turning me into a dragon?'

He did not, of course, admit how much that particular prank had turned him on, which at the time he had tried to ignore.

'Oi, Ginny,' Ron said suddenly. 'What was up with Dean earlier? He stomped into dinner in a right foul mood.'

Hermione's quill stopped scratching and Harry felt his breath catch in his throat as Ginny stilled, swallowed, and said, 'we split up.'

It took a lot of restraint for Harry not to fist-pump and hiss 'yes' as he'd imagined he would do in this moment. Instead, he suppressed a triumphant smile, avoided Hermione's gaze, and said 'how come?' as casually as he could.

'Oh, he was a bit of a git to Arnold.' Ginny said. 'And we kept arguing over – stuff.'

'You didn't seem that happy with him.' Ron said, unexpectedly. 'And…yeah. Are you alright?'

Ginny smiled at her brother; it wasn't even directed at him and Harry felt his insides warm. 'Yes, Ron. I'm fine. Dean is too…or he will be.'

'Well, this makes things awkward for you, doesn't it, Harry?' Hermione said brightly. Everyone looked over at her; Ginny and Harry were both sending her death glares.

'How so?' said Harry, through gritted teeth.

'The Quidditch team. If Ginny and Dean are at odds, it might have repercussions for the next match.' said Hermione. Her eyes were gleaming in a rather alarming manner.

'Is Katie Bell still not out of St. Mungo's?' Ron asked, surprised.

'She was cursed with Dark Magic, Ron, she's lucky to be alive.' said Hermione. 'Anyway, I'm sure you two will sort things out.'

For some reason, she looked at Harry rather than Ginny as she said this.

'I'm going to bed.' Hermione added. She looked over at Ron pointedly, but he looked blankly back at her in response. Sighing, she departed for the girls' dormitories.

'You go,' Harry told Ron, who gestured upstairs. 'I'll clean up the chess stuff.'

As soon as his friend had gone – casting a slightly confused look behind him – Harry looked over at Ginny and said, trying not to sound glib, 'Sorry about you and Dean.'

'Don't be.' Ginny said. 'I'm glad it's over. Fighting all the time is no fun. Makes me too tired to play Quidditch.'

Harry laughed. 'You played just fine after that big bust up with Ron.'

Ginny winced. 'Don't remind me. I feel awful about that. I was pretty horrible to him. Although I don't know who he thought he was telling me what to do like that.'

'I dunno. I sort of got it.' Harry said without thinking. He quickly continued 'Er – I just meant – I didn't really like seeing that either.'

'Why?' Ginny looked him squarely in the eye and he was suddenly and uncomfortably aware of how pretty she was, even (or perhaps especially) when her temper was in danger of boiling over.

'You know. Seeing you snogging someone else. It's – I don't like it.' Harry said hotly, feeling immensely frustrated with where this conversation had gone.

Ginny seemed to have been stymied into silence. She stared back at him, fidgeting with the ends of her hair, before she said, eventually, 'Neither. I mean – I didn't like seeing you with Cho. At all.'

Harry felt his heartbeat quicken. If she hadn't liked seeing him with someone else, just as much as he hadn't liked seeing _her_ with someone else, didn't that mean-?

'I don't think you and Dean were right for each other.' said Harry. 'I think you need someone who…doesn't underestimate you, or try to mollycoddle you. Plus...how could anyone be a git to this little fellow?' he leaned over and gave Arnold a quick squeeze; the pygmy puff bobbed up happily.

Ginny smiled at him. 'And you need someone who isn't a human hosepipe.'

Harry laughed again. 'Yeah, she did cry at everything. Even when she lost at Quidditch. And don't get me started on that bloody teashop.'

'Oh god,' Ginny giggled. 'Not that blasted pink-'

'-confetti and fog, can't see a thing in there-'

'-other people snogging left right and centre-'

' _Madam Puddifoot's_.' they said together, and laughed.

'Oh yeah,' Harry said, shaking his head, 'that was a dirty trick you pulled, giving Cho those coupons I gave you. She dragged me there as well. It was the worst hour of my life.'

'You started it by giving them to me in front of both of our families!' said Ginny indignantly. 'If I hadn't hidden them from Dean he'd have made me go there _again_. You know I only snogged him in that alleyway where you saw us so we didn't have to actually go inside.'

'Thinking about it, I don't know why I ever thought it would work with Cho.' Harry snorted. 'My ideal girl is someone who wouldn't ever willingly step foot in that place.'

Harry froze immediately; he could see an attractive flush creeping up Ginny's neck as she looked steadily back at him. 'Er – anyway. We should probably go to bed.' he mumbled. He could see Arnold looking intently at him - was it his imagination, or did the pygmy puff give him a little nod?

But Ginny, her freckles now indistinguishable from the red sweeping over her cheeks, came slowly over to him. His eyes trailed over the full lips; the button nose; the long eyelashes – and then she was kissing his cheek, very chastely, but he felt it. Goose-bumps erupted over his entire face and arms, but before he could act on any impulse – like pulling her down into his lap and kissing her, actually _kissing her_ , she had gone.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ginny's a free agent! Harry best take advantage of this while he can and listen to the advice of james + sirius! I love writing happy, alive Marauders (even if lily's dead and voldemort's still alive. but yanno. cant win em all). I actually love dean as a character, I just dont ship him with ginny for obvious reasons (lol).  
If you review, I will love you forever. If you favourite/follow but dont bother reviewing...yeah. not so much :)


	4. Quid Agis

**Disclaimer:** nah I don't own harry potter. if I did steve kloves would have been fired seven films ago

 **Author's Note:** thank you for all the love! Each and every one of your reviews gave me the biggest smile. It makes me so happy that people actually like my story hahaha and i just couldn't stop writing as a result! And as your reward…it's The Kiss™ chapter, feat. snogging. heh heh. this was definitely the most fun chapter to write so far. I hope you like it!

* * *

Chapter Four – Quid Agis

* * *

Harry awoke to the strange sensation of a long tongue being plunged into his ear. The subsequent swearing that ensued left him in a sweaty tangle of bedsheets, his confused roommates blinking groggily at him, and Arnold the pygmy puff toppling off Harry's pillow onto the floor.

'Wha – whasgoenon?' said Ron sleepily, lifting his head a little to peer over at Harry. 'Issat – issat my sister's pigmerpruff?'

Rubbing his ear, Harry nodded and leaned down to pick Arnold up. Golden morning sunlight was beginning to stream through the curtains and, sitting contentedly in Harry's hand, the little pygmy puff looked almost angelic.

'What're you doing in here?' said Harry. He was more than a little disgruntled, and not just because Arnold had cost him thirty odd minutes of extra bedrest. He'd been unceremoniously wrenched from a very pleasant dream in which a scantily-clad Ginny had done things to him that made him now uncomfortably aware that her brother was mere feet away from him.

Arnold looked contemptuously at Harry as though to say, _Do you expect me to reply?_ However, he did roll over to the foot of Harry's bed and nodded at a scrap of parchment that had definitely not been there last night.

Harry looked conspicuously over at the other boys. Ron had drifted back to sleep and was emitting tiny snores. Neville hadn't stirred, Seamus was blinking blearily at him, but Dean's gaze, flickering between Arnold and the parchment, was hard and forbidding.

Despite this, excitement welled up inside Harry – there was only one person who would have sent Arnold with a note, and it was with fumbling fingers that he opened it.

 _Harry,_ it said,

 _Meet me on the Quidditch pitch about twenty minutes before practice today. I have a new move I want to show you – I think it might give us an extra edge against Ravenclaw!_

 _Ginny_

 _P.S. Sorry if Arnold woke you up with his tongue. He has a tendency to do that._

Grinning, Harry let the note flutter to the floor, dived back underneath his covers and closed his eyes as Arnold rolled out of the room. Ginny had unknowingly presented him with the perfect opportunity to act on the feelings that had been driving him insane since last summer. A few long moments on the secluded Quidditch pitch, both bouncing off pre-practice adrenaline, gentle sunlight arcing over their faces…

Ever since Ginny had split up with Dean and kissed him on the cheek in the Common Room, Harry, now comfortably sure she had feelings for him too, had fervently been plotting ways to make his move. As Hermione, clearly exasperated by his dillydallying, had put it, 'For Merlin's sake Harry, there's not a soul left in Gryffindor that hasn't caught you staring at her when you think nobody's looking, and that includes Ginny herself, so get on with it!'. In Harry's opinion, this was rather rich given that half of Gryffindor had bets on when Hermione and Ron would finally get it on, but he was wise enough to realise it would not be prudent to point this out.

 _Yes,_ Harry thought, as Ron gave a rattling snore. He punched his pillow into a flatter shape. _I'm going to do it today._

* * *

Ginny was waiting for him on the pitch when he arrived. The watery afternoon sunshine caught her blazing red hair, giving the impression her whole head was alight from a distance. As he jogged over to her, his Quidditch robes flapping lazily in the breeze, she gave him a brilliant smile and he felt his stomach contract painfully.

'Hi,' she said, leaning against her broom as he reached her. 'I can't _wait_ to show you this – I've been practicing it for ages now and I think it's ready.'

Her excitement was palpable; Harry was too busy thinking about how cute she looked with her jaw set so proudly and slightly oversized robes fluttering by her ankles that he did not realise she had extended out a hand to him until she said, laughing, 'Come on, give me the ride.'

Harry stared back at her, winded. 'Er – what?' He could feel himself blushing furiously and his mouth was stupidly agape. _Did she really just say that?_

'Your Firebolt?' Ginny quirked up an eyebrow. 'It'll come out so much better if I show you on a good broom.'

'Oh, yeah, here,' said Harry quickly, handing over the sleek handle. 'So…forgotten who's the Captain of this team, have you?'

'Like you'd ever let me forget,' she said, rolling her eyes as she slid one leg over his broom. Harry didn't reply, now lost in thought about how good it would feel to have those slender legs wrapped around his waist while he –

'Yes!' Ginny shouted as she kicked off, jolting him out of _that_ train of thought. He watched as she flew higher and higher, eventually attaining height equal with the goalposts. 'NOW IMAGINE I'VE GOT SOME BURLY RAVENCLAW CHASER ON MY TAIL!' she bellowed down to him.

Harry nodded and kept his eyes glued to her distant figure as she suddenly began to pick up speed. The Firebolt responded eagerly and she cut a clean trace across the sky before lunging into a sharp and rapid zigzagging pattern. It was a damn near perfect execution of a Wollongong Shimmy. Opposing Chasers would be easily offed, leaving Ginny free to attack the goalposts. He glanced over at the castle; there was no sign of the rest of the team approaching yet – he still had time to –

'Harry, get out of the way!'

Harry wheeled back around just in time to see Ginny, a blur of red and gold, hurtling towards him before they collided in an explosion of pain and colour. Harry lay spread-eagled on his back, blinking away stars. It was not for a few moments that he realised Ginny was lying across his chest, his Firebolt abandoned on the grass nearby.

'Er…are you alright?' he managed, as Ginny lifted her head slowly. Soft brown met bright green and he was counting the chocolate-coloured freckles dusted across her nose when her mouth suddenly split into a grin.

'Bloody hell Harry, why didn't you move?' she said, laughter reverberating against his chest. 'You just stood there like a complete git-'

'Me? Why the hell did you crash into me? You can pull off a Wollongong Shimmy but you can't dismount a broom properly?' he said, but was laughing too. 'You're lucky I broke your fall, this could have been a lot worse.'

'Sorry,' she said, 'I sort of…lost control. That Firebolt's a lot faster than what I'm used to.'

'Well, I guess I can forgive you. It's not every day your best Chaser masters a professional Quidditch move. If you can do that in the Ravenclaw match – we'll definitely win the Cup.'

'Thanks,' she smiled, and Harry became very aware of the amount of body heat pulsing between them and the tell-tale tattoo of his own heart. Her face was angled towards him and he looked greedily at her full lips.

 _This is it,_ he thought confidently, _I'm going to do it. I'm going to kiss her_.

He inched towards her, cautiously –

'I _knew_ there was a reason you put Weasley on the team instead of me.'

They sprang apart; Ginny rolled off of him and staggered to her feet in seconds and Harry sat up, glaring fiercely at none other than Cormac McLaggen, towering over him with a triumphant look on his face.

'This is a private practice, McLaggen. Team members only,' said Harry coldly. 'Get lost.'

'It's private all right,' sniggered McLaggen. 'You two were about to start shagging in broad daylight.'

Harry stole a glance at Ginny out of the corner of his eye; her face was reddening, but out of embarrassment or anger he wasn't sure.

'How exactly does Harry putting my brother on the team instead of you-' she started, but McLaggen interjected at once.

'You thought if you softened her big brother up by giving him a spot, he'd turn the blind eye to you getting it on with his little sister.' said McLaggen, gesturing towards Ginny. Harry got angrily to his feet and squared up to the older boy.

'You're an idiot. Go and dry your tears and face up to the fact that Ron is ten times the player you are.' he said.

'I came down here to watch you lot practice and offer my advice.' said McLaggen lazily. 'But I can see you're in no shape to listen, Potter…too busy trying to get your leg over this one-'

He stopped. Ginny had pulled her wand and was pointing it steadily in his face. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously; Harry recognised this as her _you're in trouble_ look but did not feel an ounce of pity for McLaggen. Blood was thundering heavily through his brain and he clenched his fists, trying not to lose control.

'Shut the fuck up.' he spat at McLaggen, who stopped looking at Ginny's wand and turned back to Harry, snorting.

'I don't know what you're being such a Flobberworm about, Potter, everyone knows she's easy as –'

There was a sickening cracking noise as Harry's fist met McLaggen's nose and a flash of purple light as Ginny's infamous Bat Bogey Hex hit him at the same time. McLaggen moaned in pain and sank to the floor, clutching his bleeding nose as giant flapping bogies attacked him.

Breathing hard, Harry exchanged a glance with Ginny. He expected his expression of shock mirrored her own. Not really knowing what to do next, he picked up his Firebolt and made to talk to her when approaching footsteps halted him.

'What on earth is going on here!'

Madam Hooch was coming towards them with a stormy look on her face, her whistle swinging wildly across her neck. 'I don't _believe_ this – Potter, fighting again? And you, Weasley! I've seen plenty of altercations between different houses but to use violence against your own teammate –'

'He insulted Ginny and Ron.' said Harry, still fuming but recognising how childish he probably sounded.

'That is not an excuse for violence. Mr McLaggen will have to be taken to Madam Pomfrey. The both of you will serve a week's worth of detentions.' Madam Hooch snapped. 'I have a good mind to petition Professor McGonagall to have it a week on Saturday, but I daresay that would punish the rest of your house as much as you, if two of their players were to miss the match.'

'Bloody hell,' Ginny muttered as the flying teacher took off, McLaggen trailing behind her on a conjured stretcher. 'I think we got off lightly with that one. Remember when Umbridge gave banned you from Quidditch?'

'My dad almost killed her,' Harry said reminiscently. 'Right, er…I don't think we should tell the rest of the team what happened. At least not right now. Don't want to put them off their game.'

Ginny nodded. 'I think Ron would go after McLaggen if he found out. Not that he needs much of an excuse, the way the prat's been dogging Hermione.'

Harry wiped the blood from his fist as Ginny stuffed her wand back in her robes and it was not long before the remainder of the team arrived on the pitch, luckily oblivious to what had just happened. Harry thought Ron was a bit off-colour, but made a mental note to talk to him later, without everyone else present. In terms of his plans for Ginny, that afternoon, he thought grumpily, had been a resolute failure.

* * *

The first of Harry's detentions was to be on Friday, after Transfiguration. Harry bid goodbye to Ron and Hermione with a miserable wave; McGonagall had informed him mid-way through the lesson that due to her having to supervise a separate detention, Professor Snape would be handling his. He had, she told him grimly, arranged for Harry to extract Flobberworm mucus for the first years' Wiggenweld Potions.

It was with a bad taste in his mouth that Harry made his way to the Potions classroom. Snape wasn't even the Potions master any more, it was grossly unfair that he had to serve out this particularly disgusting detention under the beady eyes of the man that hated him and his remaining family with a passion. Harry suspected that the new Potions master, Slughorn, had shirked responsibility for this supervision as part of his ongoing mission to avoid Harry after the latter had asked him about a certain memory. He could at least be secure in the fact that Snape would think twice about spilling any more potions on him after his father and Sirius had warned him, very 'strongly', against it.

He couldn't even be pleased that Ginny would be there too; Harry knew Snape would keep them apart at all costs and the idea of snogging her amongst the Flobberworms with him lurking in the corner was laughable.

Harry swung into the Potions classroom and immediately wished he hadn't. Snape was sitting at his desk with an oily, sadistic smile and stood when he entered.

'Ah, Potter. I see you are unaccompanied by your dear father and godfather this time. I wondered if they would be here to hold your hand.' said Snape, silkily. He waited, but Harry did not cheek him, so he continued. 'The Flobberworms are on that desk. There are three crates to get through. You should finish by the end of the hour.'

There was no sign of Ginny. Harry did not like to ask where she was; he thought Snape might put them in separate detentions if he got the slightest inkling her presence would make the process any more enjoyable for Harry. He didn't bother pulling out his wand; there was no way Snape would allow magic when he could watch Harry get mucus all over himself.

Harry had just finished milking the first two Flobberworms for mucus when the door was thrust open again and Ginny, looking prettily flushed, burst in.

'You have decided to join us, Miss Weasley,' Snape said icily. 'Five points from Gryffindor for being late. Join Potter over there, and do _not_ talk. If you do, you can rest assured you will not be playing in the next Quidditch match.'

Ginny scowled at him, but said nothing as she trudged over to Harry and sat next to him. He grimaced at her and she returned it, but then they worked in silence for the next fifteen minutes. Every now and then Snape would make a comment about their lack of efficiency and what a shame it would be if he had to keep them late for not finishing.

Fingers soaked in mucus, Harry brushed his hair out of his eyes with his elbow and looked longingly at the clock. Another forty-five minutes to go. He turned back around and caught Ginny eyeing the door, but under his gaze she quickly returned to their task. Harry was just thinking he'd never get the pungent stench of the mucus out of his nose and wondering if one of Hermione's Scouring Charms might do the trick when the door was opened yet again and three flustered fifth years burst in.

Harry recognised them as Vicky Frobisher, Luna Lovegood and Ivan Silverskein, all of whom he'd seen with Ginny at one point or another. He looked at her puzzledly for clues, but she grinned and shrugged in response.

'Please sir, someone's set off one of those Weather in a Bottle things in the corridor,' said Vicky. 'That Slytherin Harper's been sucked into the tornado.'

Snape made an angry 'hah!' noise and drew his wand. 'Could you not get one of the other teachers to deal with it? I'm supervising a detention.'

'But Harper's in your house, sir,' said Ivan helpfully. 'He's asking for you.'

'I think you had better come quickly,' Luna added. 'It's started thundering too, it might be lightning next.'

'You two - _stay here_!' Snape hissed, as he made to follow the students from the room. 'And if I hear so much as a _whisper_ …'

He left, slamming the door shut behind him.

'Weather in a Bottle…hmm, where have I seen that before?' Harry said with a smirk. 'Oh, that's right…Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. I didn't think that was even on the shelves yet.'

'Being the sister of the founders has its perks,' said Ginny, casting a hasty _Scourgify_ on their hands and disappearing the mucus. 'Right, come on. We've got about five minutes to do as many of these by magic before Snape gets back.'

'You know, I don't understand why Fred and George didn't recruit you for more of their pranks. You're an evil genius.' said Harry, as he milked six Flobberworms in one go with a Squeezing Charm.

'They underestimated me,' said Ginny. 'I know _you'd_ never make that mistake, right Harry?'

He had, of course, and they both knew it. She clearly wasn't about to let him forget it too easily. Before he'd seen first-hand what she was capable of in the DA, he'd not fully appreciated just how talented a witch she was.

'Sorry.' he said, seriously, as she broke into the second crate of Flobberworms. 'But I don't underestimate you now.' he looked towards the door. 'Your friends set off the thunderstorm, didn't they?'

'Yeah,' Ginny's eyes lit up. 'It was Ivan's idea. He said you and I would finally get the job done if we could get rid of Snape.'

They both hesitated. Harry's cheeks warmed at the implication in her words; he studied her, but could not decipher whether she'd done it on purpose. Either way, it hardly mattered; he suddenly didn't even care that there was Flobberworm mucus on her sleeve and a faint sheen of perspiration on her nose. All he cared about was the fact that they were inches apart, and that she emanated that seductive flowery scent even in the stinking potions lab, and his eyes locked onto her own one last time before he closed them and –

'Get. Back. To. Work.'

Snape was snarling. He had re-entered the room without either of them noticing and even in the dim lighting, was incandescent with rage.

'Five points from Gryffindor. This is detention, not Madam Puddifoot's. And Weasley-' he paused as Ginny, shuffling away from Harry, looked up.

'-I know it was you that set off that blasted product of your brothers' before you finally turned up. If I ever get proof…' he trailed off ominously.

'I don't know what you're talking about, sir,' said Ginny. They returned to their work – now considerably more achievable than before – and she flashed Harry a strange look. It was almost…frustrated?

* * *

'How was Charms Club?' Ginny asked, as Vicky walked over and took a seat next to her. Ginny didn't normally go to the library that often, but Hermione's constant badgering about revising for her OWLs had taken its toll. She had been relying on her supply of Sugar Quills to get through the past few hours. Was there a subject with less substance than Divination? She didn't think so.

'It was great, we did Locomotor Charms and Flitwick said they'll probably come up in the exam.' said Vicky happily. 'Want to go and get some dinner? Unless you're not hungry after that detention…Flobberworms…yeuchh…' she shuddered.

Vicky had a known phobia of Flobberworms and as a result hated Care of Magical Creatures with a passion. She had run screaming from one of their very first lessons after a bemused Hagrid produced a big box of the wriggling white grubs for them to examine.

'Yeah, let me just finish this last paragraph. I don't suppose you've got any clue what a unicorn horn means in your tea leaves?' said Ginny, exhaustedly.

'Not a clue.' shrugged Vicky. The two girls were packing away her things when a distraction arrived in the shape of Harry.

'Ooh! I'll er – just go and return this book for you!' Vicky said, her face lighting up as he approached them. 'Hi Harry!' she grabbed _Unfogging the Future_ and disappeared behind the bookshelves.

He looked as though he was trying to muster up the courage to say something, and kept shuffling his feet in a sheepish manner. If she wasn't so frustrated with him at the moment, Ginny would have thought this was rather adorable.

'Everything ok, Harry? Snape didn't find out about my little prank, did he?' she said.

'What? Oh, no. Um, I saw they've arranged another Hogsmeade visit. On Saturday.' Harry said, swallowing.

'That's short notice,' said Ginny. 'I thought since Katie-'

'She's been stabilised.' Harry said, smiling at her. 'I guess it's because the Saturday after is the match, so this one's the best one to do.'

Ginny waited.

'So, Weasley,' he said, and his voice, for the most part, held strong. 'I was thinking me and you could go to Hogsmeade together. Get a Butterbeer, laugh at the couples in Madam Puddifoot's…for old time's sake.'

She scanned his face. He looked deceptively casual, his hands slung in his pockets, his glasses a little askew, and his hair characteristically messy. That, or he wasn't actually asking her on a date and so didn't need to be nervous.

'Okay,' she said, her eyes brightening. 'Why not?'

Harry grinned shiftily at her and nodded towards her Divination notes. 'You know that's a load of dragon dung, right?'

And he ran, laughing from the library as Ginny threw her quill at him.

'So…what happened?' said Vicky, popping out from behind a bookshelf. Strangely enough, she was still holding _Unfogging the Future._

'He asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him.' said Ginny, nonchalantly.

Vicky squeaked happily.

'Don't get too excited, it's not a date,' she said, but was not even fooling herself. 'It's two good friends going out and maybe getting something to eat.'

Vicky made a very dirty comment. Unfortunately for the two girls, Madam Pince happened to be skulking past and overheard; Ginny still had marks from where her Divination book had bit her.

* * *

'I still don't understand why we couldn't all go under the Cloak.' Sirius grumbled, adjusting the green flowery smock he was wearing. 'I hate being the hag. Why couldn't you be the hag, Prongs?'

'Because it's _my_ Cloak.' James pointed out. 'And I was the hag last time.'

'Right. The last time we spied on Harry.' Remus muttered under his breath.

'Come on Moony, don't be so grumpy.' sad Sirius from beneath the veil he was wearing. 'This is his first date with Ginny. Did you really expect us to miss it?'

'Lily would kill me if I didn't get pictures.' said James, nodding. 'Oi, Sirius, can you go and order us a few Butterbeers?'

'You do it!'

'I'm invisible! Do you want me to give Rosmerta a heart attack?'

'This is a stupid plan, anyway,' said Remus irritably. 'We don't know for sure they're going to come in here.'

'Nonsense, everyone comes to the Three Broomsticks on Hogsmeade weekends.' said Sirius, with a dismissive wave. He got up to order the drinks and nearly dislodged the Cloak as he did so.

'I thought you gave the Cloak to Harry,' Remus said, looking very fed up as he scratched his Transfigured nose.

'I did, but I asked him to owl it back to me last week after he told us he liked Ginny. I knew this would happen sooner or later.' said James. 'Now, remember, act natural. Harry's not stupid and if he realises who we are…'

* * *

'Have fun with Harry,' Hermione smirked as she pulled on her coat and waited for Ron to tie his shoelace.

Thankfully for Harry, Ron and Hermione, Ron and Lavender's relationship had come to a messy end. Upon hearing that Harry would not be accompanying Ron and Hermione to Hogsmeade, Lavender had – perhaps reasonably – had an angry outburst at Ron, claiming she was not happy that he and Hermione would be alone together. Ron, at the end of his tether now with Lavender, had subsequently split up with her.

'You have fun with Ron,' Ginny returned, as Harry appeared at the top of the castle steps and hastened towards her, dodging Filch and his probing Secrecy Sensor.

'Hi,' he said cheerfully, and she returned it. She was wearing her hair down and it curled delicately to her waist like a shining red waterfall; Harry took a moment to admire it and then said, not really caring that Ron or Hermione were there, 'you look really good.'

Hermione tugged Ron's arm and, casting what Harry interpreted as a meaningful look towards Ginny, he said 'see you guys later, then.'

'I'm surprised he's being so easy-going about us going together.' said Ginny thoughtfully, as they followed. 'Did he say anything to you?'

'Not really,' said Harry, casting his mind back to their conversation the day before.

' _So you're taking Ginny to Hogsmeade.'_

' _Yeah. Is that okay?'_

' _Has this got anything to do with the fact that you're both single?'_

' _What – what d'you mean?'_

' _Harry – I can't believe I'm asking this – do you fancy my sister?'_

' _Er – well – I mean…yeah. I do.'_

' _Right. Well, that's…yeah.'_

' _You're not mad at me?'_

' _Nah. I mean, it's not ideal, your best mate and your sister, but then…it kind of is. If it's got to be anyone, I'm glad it's you.'_

' _Thanks, mate.'_

They chatted animatedly all the way down to the village; Ginny was brimming with ideas for the upcoming Quidditch match and Harry was having fun teasing her about trying to oust him as Captain.

They popped into Quality Quidditch Supplies so Ginny could buy some new Chaser gloves. Harry felt a horrible pang of guilt as he watched her empty the contents of her purse, down to the last few Knuts, to pay for them. He knew she had been saving for a long time to get them and yet she didn't complain when she tucked her empty purse back in her robes, but rather excitedly reeled off their Quaffle-handling properties. Harry was close to offering to buy them for her, guiltily fingering his own bulging money bag, but didn't – he knew not only would she stubbornly refuse, but would likely take offence at the gesture.

After laughing at the couples emerging from Madam Puddifoot's, most half asleep from the heavily perfumed atmosphere, they headed towards The Three Broomsticks. Harry was unable to silence the nagging voice in his head, _kiss her, you coward…she's going to think you're such an idiot…_

On the way back, he decided. They'd take a detour through Honeydukes' cellar and he'd pull her aside in the passage and kiss her. Yes. That's what he would do.

'Two Butterbeers.' Harry slid a few Sickles over to Madam Rosmerta, who peered over at Ginny already sitting at their table and winked at him. 'She's very pretty.'

Harry, feeling unaccountably nervous, ignored her and took the drinks over to their booth. Ginny was looking curiously over at two people sitting at the table adjacent to her. Interestingly enough, the hag and the moustached bloke were looking just as intently back at her.

'You get some real weirdos in this place,' said Harry, passing her a hot Butterbeer. Perhaps he said it too loudly, because the hag choked on her drink and made to get up, but the moustached man caught her green smock in his hand and stopped her.

'No sign of Ron and Hermione.' observed Ginny. 'You don't think _they're_ in Madam Puddifoot's, do you?' a wicked gleam flickered in her eyes.

'Ugh, I hope not.' said Harry. He did not like to think of his best friends snogging. However inevitable it was, he was still unsure about how he felt if they started a relationship. Being the third wheel was not an appealing thought.

'Cheer up,' Ginny said, as though reading his mind. 'They won't shut you out, you know. Ron was friends with you long before he started fancying Hermione, and vice versa.'

'Besides,' she added, 'they're both too dense to do anything about it any time soon. You saw how long it took Ron to break up with Lavender.'

'Too long,' Harry said darkly. Sometimes at night he could still hear a shrill whine of 'Won-Won!' piercing his brain and had debated waking up Madam Pomfrey to get a Sleeping Draught.

'Then again,' said Ginny, 'we took our time with Cho and Dean.'

Harry met her eyes. She was wearing a hard, blazing look that he found impossible to look away from. Could he really do it? Could he kiss her in front of everyone in the bloody pub? Did he like her enough to do that? Surely not. But he knew he did. He did. He really did.

'Yeah.' was all he said. She had moved closer to him, as well. 'Ginny, I should probably tell you, I-'

 _Flash!_

A thick plume of green smoke billowed over them from the adjacent table. Coughing and spluttering, Harry waved it away as a heated argument broke out.

' _Padfoot!_ I told you to turn the smoke feature off!'

'I thought I had! It's not my fault – you grabbed it off me before I could check!'

'Both of you, be quiet!'

It became clear that there were three people at the next table. Ginny stared perplexedly at the angry hag and disgruntled man, but Harry's expression was steely as he got up, stormed over to the table and, seemingly yanking thin air, revealed James Potter clutching a wizarding camera and looking very guilty indeed.

'Dad!' Harry seethed. 'What the hell are you doing here? Are you spying on me?'

'Er..hello Harry.' James laughed unconvincingly. 'Fancy seeing you here! Sirius, Remus and I popped out for a few drinks. Hi Ginny.'

'Hi James. Hi…er, Sirius, Professor Lupin.' she tried to hide a smile at their appearances.

'Don't be angry, Harry, we didn't know you'd be here.' said Sirius, yanking off his veil and wig.

'Yes, we did, and you have every right to be annoyed, Harry.' said Remus, shaking his head. It was hard to take him seriously with the bushy moustache. 'But James is right, Lily would have wanted pictures of this occasion…although I don't think she'd have agreed with the methods used…'

'Your mum would be furious with me.' James agreed. 'Sorry. But in case you were wondering, the picture came out great.'

He pulled out the photo from the camera. It showed Harry leaning into Ginny, Ginny closing her eyes, and then an eruption of green smoke.

'Great action shot.' said Sirius, but he stopped grinning when Harry glared at him.

Harry sighed. 'Can you go away now, please? All of you?'

Sirius looked as though he was going to argue, but James pushed him out of their booth and hugged Harry goodbye. 'Have a good time.'

Remus followed suit, but as Sirius embraced his godson, he muttered in his ear, 'It's now or never, Harry.'

Shaking his head derisively, Harry sat back down without bothering to check if they'd departed the pub yet. 'I'm sorry about that-'

'For Merlin's sake, Harry!' Ginny shouted, suddenly, her voice ringing through the pub. Patrons paused with their drinks midway to their mouths, Rosmerta almost dropped a tray of Firewhisky bottles, and Harry slopped Butterbeer down his front in surprise.

'When are you going to stop dawdling and kiss me?!'

Her face was burning as red as her hair as she stood up. 'I've only been dropping hints all _bloody_ week!'

'What are you talking about?' Harry near-yelled back. He did not notice that James, Sirius and Remus had come bustling back into the pub after hearing the commotion and that his godfather was watching the scene unfold with undisguised glee.

'I wrote you that note,' said Ginny, her voice returning to normal volume, 'and I got Snape out of the way, and I even bloody kissed you!'

'On the cheek!' Harry said stupidly. 'Wait…you did all that so I'd kiss you? Why didn't you just say?!'

Behind him, James buried his face in his hands.

'I shouldn't have to!' said Ginny. She seemed to abruptly realise that about twenty people were staring at them. But before she could say anything else, Harry, now seeing only one possible solution to this brilliantly bizarre turn of events, leapt up from his chair, moved around the table, pulled her towards him and kissed her.

She melted into his embrace as his right hand crept into her hair and tangled into it and his left slid from her waist to support her back. He tasted wonderfully warm and delicious, like Butterbeer and treacle tart, and the sweetness of his kiss burned through her veins with desire. He intensified the kiss, gripping her even tighter, and she nearly moaned when she felt him nip her bottom lip with his front teeth.

Slowly, they broke apart, just before a plume of green smoke engulfed them.

Harry was grinning madly and she couldn't help but copy him. She wasn't sure if the best bit was Sirius shouting, 'That's my boy! That's my boy!' or James waving the photo of them snogging at her and joking he was going to send it to the twins, or Remus telling everyone in the pub to stop wolf-whistling after five straight minutes of it.

But, Ginny decided on reflection, that the best bit was Harry grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the pub, all the way to the One Eyed Witch's secret passageway, pressing her against the wall, and proceeding to kiss her. He breathed, between kisses, that he wanted her to be his girlfriend, and she whispered back a yes, as long as he promised not to wait another week to kiss her again. He agreed.

Of course, then they realised they had two minutes until curfew and were forced to run at top speed back to the Common Room, where Ginny rehashed the tale to a waiting and very excited Vicky, although she made sure to leave out just how much wandering Harry's hands had done.

Suddenly, she was looking forward to the rest of her detentions.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**! they ! are ! a ! couple!

I hope you liked this chapter! in case any of you were wondering, the title comes from the password to the gryff common room harry gives the fat lady after the ravenclaw quidditch match in canon and then infamously goes on to kiss ginny. happy days.

Reviews are like hugging nifflers, so please leave one and let me know what you thought.

the next chapter is gonna get a lil more 'm' if u get my meaning. just a fair warning ;)


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